To Coupon or Not to Coupon? (Part 12)

So, we're not quite through the series yet, but I wanted to step back for a minute and get the question that you may be asking yourself out into the open.

"Should I dive in and begin couponing for real?"

I hope that I haven't made couponing seem like too daunting of a task. Sure, there's a bit of a learning curve when you get started, and it does take a couple hours each week, but is it worth it?

Let me ask you two questions. 

1) If you could increase your monthly income by $100-$300 (or maybe more), would you do it?
2) How would you spend that extra money each month?  Or would you put it in savings?

If you are currently working within a monthly budget, your answer to the second question will be more concrete.  Our family has a written, thorough budget for each month, and let me tell you, we know where the money we save through couponing is going!  What would that look like for you?  Would you put the money toward paying off any debts more quickly?  Would you put it in a savings account for a new vehicle?  The options are endless!


Don't hesitate--dive in now! Make sure you're getting your discounted Sunday paper each week so you have lots of coupons, and start saving!

Remember, a dollar saved is better than a dollar earned.  You don't have to pay tax on money you save. =)

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Grocery Item Costs with Coupons (How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 11)

Well, the busyness of the Christmas season has hit our home with full force!  However, I do want to get the the list that I promised in Part 10 of this series out to you.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a start and will give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for grocery items when combining sale prices with coupons.

Please note: These costs are dependent on brands, regions, seasons, and your store's coupon policy.  I have been able to get almost every item on this list for free or much less than the price listed at various times, but these prices reflect the MOST that I am willing to pay for an item.  So, consider each price listed as, "up to $___").

Meat:

Chicken: less than $2/ lb

Ground beef: less than $2/ lb 

Bacon: $2

Sausage: $2

Refrigerator and Dairy products:
Yogurt cups: 37 cents

Yoplait 4-pack (or similar): $1

Sour cream: 50 cents

Cheese shreds: $1

Cheese sticks: $2.50

Butter quarters: $1

Spreadable butter: 50 cents

Pillsbury crescents and grands: 75 cents

O.J. (not from concentrate--usually Tropicana): $2

Canned/boxed goods, snacks, bread, and freezer items:
Boxes of pasta: 50 cents

Pasta sauce (jar): $1.25

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (or similar): 50 cents

Progresso soup (or similiar): 50 cents

Stuffing box: 50 cents

Tomato paste (small): 29 cents

Evaporated milk: 50 cents

P-nut butter: $1

Salad dressing: $1

Ketchup/Mustard: 75 cents

Canola or Veggie Oil (large): $1.89

Spices: $1.09 (Aldi)

24 pack water bottles: $2.79

Betty Crocker baking pouches or boxes (cakes, brownies, cookies, muffins): 80 cents

Frozen bags or boxes of veggies: 75 cents

Produce:
Seasonal

Diapers/Wipes/Baby Items:
Diapers: 17 cents/ diaper (depending on size, can be much less)

Wipes: less than 2 cents/ wipe

Johnson products: less than $2 each

Paper Products/ Misc:
Kleenex: 67 - 92 cents

Toilet paper: 12 dbl rolls: $4.99

Paper towel: 50-80 cents a roll (that's for the Bounty Select-a-Size)

Napkins: $1.50 per large package

Tide (or similar): $2.50 / 32 loads

Box of dryer sheets: $2.99

Reynolds Wrap/ Plastic Wrap: 75 cents

12-pack of Coke: $3.33

Bread: less than $2/ loaf

Cereal/Snacks:
Not more than $1.50/ box; usually about $1/ box.

Granola bars: $1

Ritz crackers: $1.50

Organic/ Meatless
Canned goods: $1

Kashi: $2

MorningStar Meatless products: $3

Personal Care: $5-$10

Deodorant: $1

Shampoo: $1

Tooth brushes: 50 cents

Tooth paste: 50 cents

Floss: free

So, $200 per Month for Groceries. Really? (Part 10)

Yes.  Really!

Here's how it usually works:

Meat:  $35-$40
I purchase most of our meat from Sam's club in bulk. Eventually I would like to find a co-op or some place where I can buy organic meat, but we're not quite there yet. For now, Sam's works for us, and it's very fresh and yummy.We aren't big meat eaters, but we do usually have either beef or chicken in one of our meals for six out of seven days a week.  We have one vegetarian dinner per week. We also eat breakfast meat on occasion. 

Milk and other dairy products: $35
Our milk and eggs are so expensive in PA right now!  Over $3.40 per gallon of milk and eggs are $1.39. I purchase most of my dairy products with coupons at Giant Eagle. 

Canned/boxed goods, snacks, bread, and freezer items: $30
I purchase most of my canned items at Aldi because I can usually get them less expensively there than I can with coupons at Giant Eagle. The other boxed goods are purchased at Giant Eagle. 

Produce: $25

I purchase my produce at Sam's and Aldi.  I buy lettuce and some fruit at Sam's, and veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, etc. at Aldi. 

Diapers/Wipes: $25-$30
Purchased mainly at Target and Rite Aid. 

Paper Products: $20
These are purchased at either Target or Giant Eagle, depending on the sales and coupons available. This category includes paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, kleenex, etc. 

Cereal: $15
I don't buy cereal until I can get it for about a dollar per box, and then I buy a month's supply of it. Our cereal is always purchased at Giant Eagle with coupons. 

Personal Care: $5-$10
Purchased at either Giant Eagle, Target, or one of the other drug stores.


If I hit a big deal on several items and purchase them in bulk, it will bump the diapers over the $200 mark, but on a good month the diapers will fit within the $200 budget.

Next time I will list how much you can reasonably expect to pay for many grocery items using coupons.


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How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 9

Today I want to share some tips I have learned about how to score major savings at Target.

Before I began using coupons, I shopped at Walmart for most of the personal products our family uses each month, including diapers and paper products.  Walmart does accept coupons, but they do not allow coupon "stacking" (as described in yesterday's post).  When I learned that Target does allow you to stack coupons, my curiosity was piqued.

I read Target's coupon policy and learned that they will accept one Target coupon and one manufacturer's coupon per item.  At first I had trouble finding Target coupons.  There would be an occasional Target circular in the Sunday paper, but I needed more Target coupons to reach the kind of savings I was trying to achieve.

Then I discovered that Target offers store coupons on their website!  When I go to this link today, I see that there are $527.30 in Target store coupons available for me to print.  And you can sort them by category to help you find what you're looking for.

The Coupon Mom provides a consistent list of coupon match-ups for Target (in the Drug Store Deals section), but she sometimes misses the opportunities for stacking with the coupons on Target's website.  So, if you use her website to prepare your list, make sure you check Target's online coupons to make sure you haven't missed any opportunities for coupon stacking.

I have lots of success with Huggies diapers and wipes at Target, thanks to coupon stacking.  When the diapers go on sale I use my Target coupons combined with manufacturer's coupons to get diapers anywhere from 9-17 cents a diaper (depending on the size) and wipes for 1-2 cents a wipe.  Great deals!


If you have a Super Target, you can score great deals on groceries, too.  Target doesn't double coupons, but since they take a Target and a manufacturer's coupon for each item you purchase, you have the opportunity to purchase grocery items very inexpensively.

Target's online coupons reset every month, and you can print up to two copies per coupon.


Any questions about today's post or anything else in this series?  Feel free to leave your question in the comments section and I will get back to you!



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How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 8

In Friday's post I began sharing how to maximize your savings at the checkout counter.  And I gave you an assignment!  If you haven't done it yet, be sure to research your store's coupon policy.  Let me know what you discover.  I would enjoy hearing from you!

I want to continue the discussion today by sharing some areas in which you need to be flexible in order to maximize your savings.

1) Store loyalty

When our family lived in Georgia, I had been shopping mainly at Kroger (and Aldi) thinking that Publix was so much more expensive.  But when I learned that Publix would stack coupons (two coupons per item: store and manufacturer's), AND they took competitor's coupons, guess who started getting the bulk of my business? Kroger only accepts one coupon per item, and it must either be a manufacturer's coupon or a Kroger coupon. However, they will accept both an electronic coupon loaded on your shopper's card AND a manufacturer's coupon for one item, so it is possible that you could "stack" coupons for a few items on your Kroger shopping list. This requires some careful planning, though!

Do your research and find out which grocery stores in your area are the most "coupon friendly" and start shopping there! In Georgia, most stores doubled coupons valued at 50 cents and less, but here in Pennsylvania, most grocery stores double coupons 99 cents and less!  Sadly, I have not yet come across a grocery store that will stack coupons.  

Note: Target and Walgreens will stack coupons!  We'll talk about that soon.

2) Brand loyalty

I have never been incredibly loyal when it comes to brand name foods, although there are a few personal care product brands that have won my loyalty.  If you want to achieve major savings you do need to be willing to try new brands.  I had never tried San Giorgio pasta, but when I was able to get a free box of it, you'd better believe I took it!  And we liked the pasta, too! Be flexible. Be willing to try new things. Unless we have tried a brand and definitely did not like it, I always go for the brand that I can get at the lowest possible price.

3) Time commitment

I am occasionally asked the question, "How long does this take you each week? I don't have a lot of time to put together lists and coupons!" I am right there with you!  I don't have a lot of time, either. But, I figure that the ratio of time spent to money saved means that I make anywhere from $30-$50 an hour for preparing my shopping lists and coupons, so I've decided it's worth it!  

You should expect a learning curve as you begin this journey. I probably spent 3-4 hours a week at the beginning for what now takes me just about 2 hours a week (on a week when I am doing a grocery store and a drug store). Be patient!  The savings will more than pay for your time.  Wait for the kids to go to bed and do your research and planning in the evenings. Or get up early... =)

More tomorrow!

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How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 7

In yesterday's post we talked about how to match sale prices with coupons.  Today I want to begin the conversation about how to maximize your savings at the checkout counter. We're back to coupons!

I have an assignment for you.  I want to make sure you know your store's coupon policy like the back of your hand.  Many stores have a written policy on their website, but if you can't find one, call the store and ask to speak to the manager. Ask these questions: (Yes, I realize there are NINE of them!)

1) Do you accept coupons? 

(Some stores, i.e. Aldi and Sam's Club do not accept coupons.)

2) Do you double coupons?

3) If so, up to what amount do you double?

(i.e. coupons 50 cents and under are doubled)

4) Do you have a limit on the number of coupons you will double?

(I have never experienced this, but I know some of my mom's stores in Wisconsin have a limit.)

5) Do you allow more than one coupon per item? 

(manufacturer's and store coupon)

6) Do you take competitor's coupons?

7) If yes, who do you consider to be a competitor?  

(Publix considered Rite Aid to be a competitor in Georgia, and they would take Rite Aid's $5 off $25 coupons!)

8) Do you accept one coupon for each BOGO (buy one, get one free) item?  

Usually the only way they will do this is if their policy is to charge 50% for each B1G1 item, rather than full price for the first and nothing for the second. Publix is a good example of this--you can actually buy one of a B1G1 item and it will be 50% off. If your store has this policy, they should accept one coupon each for B1G1 items.  And if they allow coupon "stacking" (accepting both a manufacturer's AND store coupon for each item), you are pretty much getting free items because you are basically paying full price for one item and using four coupons against it!

9) How can I receive your store coupons in the mail?

Feel free to post comments and let me know your store's coupon policy! I have more to share on this topic of maximizing your savings at the checkout counter, so be sure to stay tuned!

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How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 6

Today we continue our series with the topic of how to match coupons to weekly sales. If you have followed the posts in this series, you are well on your way to having a large, organized supply of coupons and are now ready to put them to good use!


Depending on your region and your favorite grocery stores, you should be able to find a blogger that offers weekly coupon match-ups. One that I have used extensively is the Coupon Mom. It shouldn't be too difficult to find match-ups for your store. Simply do a google search, such as: Giant Eagle coupon match-ups.


For the sake of our discussion today, I will use the coupon mom's site as an example. If you go to her section, “grocery deals by state,” you can scroll through her extensive national list of grocery stores and hopefully find your store. Click on it and it will take you to a list of all the sale items for that week.


To the left of the sale item is a code for the coupon circular in which a coupon for that particular item can be found. For example, 10/17S refers to the October 17th Smart Source circular. 10/17R refers to the Red Plum circular. PG stands for the Proctor and Gamble circular (usually included in the Sunday Paper about once a month), GM refers to the General Mills circular (also included about once a month) and T refers to the occasional Target coupon circular.


To the right of the item is the coupon's value (if that store doubles coupons, the value listed will reflect that policy), followed by how many items the coupon requires you to purchase. The next field lists the sale price of the item, followed by the final price when combined with the coupon. The final field lists the percentage of savings. 


Other blogs might list coupon match-ups something like this: 


San Giorgio Pasta – $1
Use $0.55/1 coupon from the 10/3 SmartSource insert
Or use $0.50/1 printable
Free after coupon

You can see why it is important to start collecting the Sunday paper immediately so that you have the coupons you need to plan an awesome shopping trip!  Having said this, most coupon match ups will include links for online printable coupons if there are any available for a given sale item. Take note if these, especially while you are building up your supply of Sunday coupon circulars.  

Once you have made your list, print a copy and then cut out the specific coupons you need for your trip. Put your list and coupons in your coupon binder or purse and you're ready to strike some major deals! 

When you have shopped this way for a while you will never want to walk into a grocery store again without being armed with lots of coupons and a list.

Stay tuned for the next post. I will talk about maximizing your savings at the checkout counter.

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How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 5

I decided it would be beneficial to spend one more day talking about coupon organization before we move on.  The coupons that are scattered around your kitchen or at the bottom of your purse won't do you any good if they aren't available when you need them!  I keep an envelope on the counter in my kitchen and any coupons that come into my house through the mail, from a friend, off another product, etc. go into it immediately.  Then, usually once a week, I take the envelope and file the coupons away in my binder.  Car trips around town (when my husband is driving!) are my favorite time to do this task.

I want to answer a couple questions that came up in response to yesterday's post:


Question #1: Neat ideas....like the baseball card page idea...but when I am shopping with 6 kids...the oldest being 7...it will be too big for me. Do you suggest something a bit smaller? open to any ideas!

Answer: I hear you! You certainly don't have to go with a large binder.  It can be a bit difficult to handle in the store--especially if you have children along.  This organizer by Franklin Covey is probably the best, least expensive, organized, smaller option I can recommend.  If you have a child riding in the grocery cart, you will probably need to teach them to not touch it. You could try also an inexpensive options like this or one that is a bit more pricey but VERY nice and organized, like this.

As I mentioned in  Part 4, I put the coupons I intend to use for a given shopping trip in a certain section of my binder so they are ready to go.  But I often come across unadvertised sales and I like to be able to quickly see if I have coupons to match the sale items.  The baseball card holders make this process quick and easy.  Another reason I decided on the binder is due to the fact that some coupons are rather large and do not fit in the smaller organizers. Whatever you decide, make sure your system is one you will be sure to use.  If your coupons are organized by section in a smaller organizer, it shouldn't take you much time to find what you're looking for.


Question #2: Love the collapsible file folder idea for the circulars. Mine have just been falling over in a manilla folder. Why do you have tabs for the stores in addition to the item categories?

Answer: When I organize myself for a shopping trip, I put my shopping list, clipped coupons, and my printout of coupons I have loaded onto my shopper's card (as discussed in Part 3) in a page protector behind that store's tab in my binder. If you decide to use something smaller than a binder, just make sure you have everything you need for your shopping trip in one easy-access place.



Remember, the bulk of your coupons are neatly organized and ready for clipping in an expandable file folder.  But as you get into this, you will have lots of other coupons coming in (and you want them!), so you do need an organized place to keep them.




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How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 4

As promised in Part 3, today I will share with you how I keep all of my coupons and circulars organized. There are many different organizational systems available to you, but I will share what has worked well for me. 

Pictured below are the two main organizational items I use: an expandable file folder and a zipper binder, both purchased inexpensively at Walmart. I recommend getting a binder that zips because it keeps your coupons from slipping out during a shopping trip. In the front zipper of my binder I keep a pair of scissors, some paper clips, a pen and a pencil. This binder comes with me every time I go into a store. It may seem a bit cumbersome, but it is more than worth it for all the money it has saved me over the years!

How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 3

In yesterday's post I mentioned that you would need to have access to a lot of coupons in order to be successful with your couponing. There are two types of coupons: manufacturer's and store coupons. 

Manufacturer's coupons:

I highly recommend subscribing to the Sunday paper, as it contains some of the best coupons. You can get 50% or more off a subscription using the link at the top right of this page.

Most weeks you will find both a Smart Source and a Red Plum circular in your paper, although occasionally only the Smart Source circular is included. Once a month or so you will also receive a General Mills circular and a Proctor and Gamble circular. Start collecting these circulars right away; you need to have several weeks’ worth to heighten your opportunity for saving.  When you receive your paper, make sure you pull out the circulars and date them right away (see picture below).

 

There are hundreds of manufacturer's coupons to be had online. Three standard sites are:

coupons.com

redplum.com

smartsource.com

I recommend visiting these sites at the beginning of the month and printing two copies of the coupons you know you would use in a month (two is the limit per computer).  My reasoning for this is that the manufacturers set limits on the number of times a coupon may be printed, so if you catch them at the end of the month, the most popular coupons are often gone.  These sites will occasionally add new coupons during the month, so it's always a good idea to check back once or twice, especially if you're looking for a specific coupon. 

Another way to secure wonderful manufacturer’s coupons is to visit the websites of your favorite product companies and register with them.  They will often mail you coupons with a much higher value than the ones in circulars or online. I have had good success with this for cereal, diapers, and many other commonly used products. 

Store coupons:

Most grocery stores have their own store coupons, so make sure you have a shopper’s card and a correct address on file with your grocery store.  I no longer live near Kroger, but I was receiving their coupon booklets in the mail and they were always packed with wonderful store coupons.

Many store websites will allow you to load coupons  from their website right on to your shopper's card.  These are manuafacturer's coupons, and they must be used at their store with your card.  The coupon savings show up automatically on your receipt if you purchase those particular items.  Kroger and Giant Eagle are two stores that I know offer this service. If you know of others, please post in the comments section! 

You can also load coupons onto your shopper’s card at following websites:

Cellfire.com

Shortcuts.com

Upromise.com

I never used to pay much attention to the coupons that print at the register, but now that I’m couponing, I hold on to them like gold!  Some stores will allow you to stack your manufacturer’s coupons with their store coupons (or even competitor’s coupons, i.e. Publix) for even greater savings. 

Okay, so we’ve talked about some coupon sources.  Next time we’ll talk about a way to keep them organized, followed by how to match sale prices with coupons. If you missed the previous posts, you can find them here Part 1 and here Part 2.

I’ll be taking a break for Thanksgiving weekend, but I will see you next week! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 2

In Part 1 of this series I told you that two years ago I would not have believed you had you told me that I would be able to feed my family and provide all of our household items for $200/ month or less. Here's what happened...

In the summer of 2008 our family moved to Georgia for my husband to attend graduate school.  Money was tight and I needed to find some way to stretch our small budget. We were spending about $400 per month on groceries, and it seemed to me that we should be able to do better than that. 

As I thought and prayed, I remembered the radio program and the woman who saved thousands each year through couponing (Part 1).  I had nothing to lose, so I began to read everything I could find about couponing.  I soon learned that there was a very powerful method of couponing that I had been missing.  Coupons are most effective when combined with sale prices!  No kidding?!

Whereas I previously used coupons if they happened to match an item on my grocery list, I now began making my lists around the sale items for which I had coupons.  I learned these principles from The Coupon Mom: 

1. Know how your store's savings programs work, such as sales and promotions, and combine them to save the most.

2. Know where to find the best coupons.  

3. Know when to use your coupons, combining them with the lowest sale prices on your favorite items.  In many cases you will be able to get your favorite items free!

I also learned that you can achieve various levels of savings at the checkout counter.  Shopping the sale items is a great place to start.  But you can reach the next level of savings by combining sale items with coupons and buying for one week.  And you can achieve yet another level of savings by combining sale prices with multiple coupons for the items and buying as many of each at its lowest price possible.

I will insert here that I used to do my meal/ grocery shopping planning in this order:

1. Plan the menu

2. Make my shopping list

3. Go shopping

Shopping this way does change things up a bit, but I've found a way to make it work well, and I will give some more tips on that as we go. 

In order for this method to be effective, you need to have access to a lot of coupons. We’ll talk more about this next time.

Stay tuned for Part 3.

How I Spend $200 or Less per Month on Groceries, Part 1

If you would have told me two years ago that I would be spending $200 or less per month on groceries and household items (with a growing pantry each month besides), I don't think I would have believed you.

In this series I will share in detail how I accomplish this.  I welcome any of your ideas in the comments section of each post!

For years I shopped at Aldi for most things and then shopped the sales at another local grocery store for all of my non-Aldi items.  I spent about $100 per week.  Sometimes more.

One day my husband told me about a radio program he heard in which a woman described how she saved their family thousands of dollars a year by couponing.  I was skeptical, to say the least.  As we talked, I brushed it off saying that there was no way I could beat Aldi's prices with name brand items, coupons or not! Plus, didn't coupons make you spend more because they would tempt you to buy things you didn't really need?

I was in for a big surprise...

Stay tuned for Part 2.